Duterte claims COVAX asking Philippines for donations; pledges $1M

The COVAX facility which coordinates donations of COVID-19 vaccines to poor countries has been asking for donations to keep up its efforts to meet the vaccine requirements of developing nations, President Rodrigo Duterte has said.

In his weekly televised briefing, Duterte said the Philippines would donate $1 million to COVAX.

"COVAX is soliciting contributions from countries who can help... Itong binibigay ng COVAX sa atin marami. Ngayon bumawi naman sila. Nagkukulang ang pera nila," Duterte said.

[COVAX has given us so much. Now they are the ones in need. They are running out of money.]

"Now they are asking for contribution to keep their operations running… and they have asked the Philippines for donation. Ako, one million dollars, magko-contribute po ako kasi napakabuti ng COVAX sa atin," he added.

[I will contribute one million because COVAX has been good to us.] 

"To help other countries, maybe including the Philippines, they are asking for contributions para makabili pa sila to keep the operation running because they are probably running low on funds also. They have asked the Philippines formally for a donation," he added.

Earlier, COVAX said it needed $2.0 billion in additional funding by the beginning of June in order to boost coronavirus inoculation programs in lower-income countries.

COVAX said it has already delivered 70 million vaccine doses to 126 countries, but faces a shortfall of 190 million at the end of June because of the "severe impact on Covax's supply in the second quarter of this year... (from) the terrible surge of the virus in India."

COVAX welcomed the vaccine pledges made so far by countries such as France, Germany, Sweden, Italy, Spain, New Zealand and the United Arab Emirates.

The COVAX initiative is a global collaboration of manufacturers and experts that seeks to accelerate the development, production, and equitable access to COVID-19 tests, treatments, and vaccines.

COVAX is co-led by GAVI vaccines alliance, the World Health Organization and the CEPI Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations. Its aim is to deliver two billion doses of effective, approved COVID-19 vaccines by the end of 2021.

"They're one of the earliest agencies to help us aside from the contributions made by China," Duterte said.

“It’s our turn to return the goodwill that they have shown," he added. —NB, GMA News